Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Raincoast Conservation

Dr. Harald Yurk, Fisheries & Oceans Canada

Biologists learn early in their careers about the perils of attributing human characteristics to animals. That said, parallels between killer whales and humans are just too stark to ignore. Both are long-lived, socially-intelligent, care for their offspring for many years and, most critically, have well-developed cultures. Lance Barrett-Lennard and Harald Yurk are research colleagues with over 50 combined years of killer whale research experience under their belts.

They will discuss how culture—defined as a suite of behaviours acquired and transmitted via social learning—is reflected in the communication, social behaviour and even mating systems of killer whales, and how it influences, both positively and negatively, their prospects for conservation.